How to Activate Your Apple Watch Step Counter

This article explains how to check your step count on an Apple Watch and paired iPhone. We'll also explain how to view weekly summaries and step history and share your step count with contacts. 

How to Check Your Steps on Apple Watch

Your Apple Watch step counter is activated when you first set up your Apple Watch and configure the Activity app (you can also configure the Activity app later).

After setup, you can find the Apple Watch step counter (or pedometer) in the Activity app. Here's how to access the feature and see how many steps you've taken. 

1. Press your Apple Watch Digital Crown and select Activity.

   If your watch face has an Activity Apple Watch complication, you can tap it to access Activity directly. 

2. View your activity rings and statistics on your day's activity. 

3. Scroll past the Move, Exercise, and Stand statistics until you get to Total Steps to view your total step count.

   This section also tells you the total distance you've walked and how many flights of stairs you've climbed.

How to Check Your Step Counter on iPhone 

When your Apple Watch is paired and near your iPhone, you can also check how many steps you've taken through the iPhone's Fitness app.

1. Launch the Fitness app.

2. View your step count under Activity.

3. In this section, you'll also see workouts, mindfulness information, fitness trends, and more.

How to View Your Weekly Summary of Steps Walked

It's convenient to see how many steps you've walked in the past week. There's a quick way to do this on the Apple Watch.

1. Press the Digital Crown to unlock your Apple Watch, and then select Activity.

2. Scroll down and tap Weekly Summary.

3. Scroll down to view the total steps you've taken for the week, along with other information. 

   You can also see the distance you've traveled, calories you've actively burned, and the number of flights of stairs you've climbed.

How to View the History of Your Steps

Want to check how many steps you've taken on previous days? It's not possible to do so on an Apple Watch, but here's how to do it on an iPhone.

1. Open the Fitness app on your iPhone.

2. Tap anywhere in the Activity area.

3. Tap a day of the week.

   Alternatively, tap the Calendar icon and choose any day in the past to view its stats.

4. Scroll down to see the total steps taken on that day and other information.

How to Share Your Apple Watch Step Total With Others

You can share your step total and other activity with contacts and friends or share this information on social media.

1. Launch the Fitness app on your iPhone and tap the Sharing tab.

2. On the Sharing screen, you'll see the activity of people with whom you're friends on Apple Watch. However, you can share your step count with any contact.

3. Tap Me. You'll see a screen with your basic activity information. Tap the Share icon at the top right.

4. Tap a contact or choose to share via the Messages app, email, or social media.